Monday, August 9, 2010
First Day Back: Womack talks about the school system challenges and Ramona Tyson's new leadership style
So, how was the first day back at school? Were classrooms as crowded as we were expecting? Were supplies in order? Was traffic snarled? Buses on time? Construction under control? AYP transfers go smoothly? Esis working? Air conditioning up and running?
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80 comments:
I would hope the Lakeside community would organize to recall Womack before he does hire Tyson permanently. He is delusional.
I saw the story on the news last week.
Womack lost what was left of his mind awhile ago. When the police raided Lewis's house he proclaimed "he's innocent and has been set up by someone either on the BoE or very high up in admin." Of course he's not in a hurry to replace Clew-less he doesn't want Roberts, or Sarah CW involved in the process and is waiting for them to hopefully be replaced in November. Paul is a cancer on the system. He is old school DCSS and sat on the board during the good ole boy, I'll scratch your back heydays. What a disappoint that Shayna didn't win that district.
Here in North DeKalb, nothing out of the ordinary, buses ran about 6 to 9 minutes late, one for CMS was running about 15 late, expected for first day of school.
Traffic around Montgomery Elementary was very heavy, with 650 kids attending and a lot of new students, it was expected. Staff did a terrific job keeping the traffic moving. The scary thing is Marist, just one block away, has not started yet so expect larger traffic snarls when they crank up.
My kids were happy with their first day!
I'm stunned about the principal being robbed at 6:45 at Stone Mill. Elementary schools really don't need more police, but I guess that's a bit different in that area.
Don't forget, Channel 46 tonight at 11pm. Zepora, "I'll slug you" Roberts will be featured in a report on DCSS nepotism, cronyism, friends and family plan. I can't wait!
What planet does Womack live on? This guy is very scary and is becoming the poster child of why we need a totally revamped BOE.
Do you all know that there are DCSS rules about board members and visiting schools? (I can't swear they are regularly followed, of course.)
Do you know when they were written? You got it -- during Womack's previous service on the BOE. He was so out of control at several schools that the Board had to adopt rules.
I wonder if the Lakeside community thinks have Joe Reed as a principal is worth the damage Womack is about to inflict on our system.
I don't think he is worried about what happens with the elections, what I heard is that he wants to keep Tyson.
Mr. Womack,
Please explain why it took an official letter from SACS to get you folks on the board to get your rear ends in gear. If you're so wonderful in your jobs, you wouldn't need that kind of oversight.
Maybe some mental health services are in order for this group. I'm not joking.
I am a teacher at a great school in Dekalb. My first day was super and everything ran very smoothly! We have more students, construction going on in the back of the school and everyone still had a smile on their face all day. Alot of credit goes to my principal. He truly believes in doing everything in his power to make the teachers lives easier and give them time to teach. No matter what is going on outside our building, we have full support from him. I wish every school could have a principal with these principles!!! Great day today!!!
The AJC reports that DCSS will replace 30 air conditioning units which were stolen from a couple of schools. How do 30 units get taken with no-one noticing people with major tools, big trucks, lifting equipment and such?
How many police does DCSS employ again? Has anyone asked where were they? It's not like they're overseeing thousands of buildings... What's up with all that tax funded expensive security camera equipment? Who's monitoring it? Something really isn't right here.
16 a/c units taken from SW DeKalb and nobody notices???? How long did that theft take?
6 taken from DESA. 8 from Woodridge.
And no-one notices a ladder, vehicle, people on rooftops...
How about a statement from the Chief(s) -- or a resignation letter.
WTF??? How do you allow 30 HVAC units to be stolen?? Sam Moss staff: Did you take any precautions? Why do we have a 200 person school police staff with not one but two chiefs?? Why is former principal Steve Donahue running Sam Moss despite no facilities management experience??
Are there any adults minding the store? Why weren't the units installed in June or July instead of waiting until the last minute. I hate to call anyone an idiot but that's appropriate here.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-schools-replace-30-588204.html
DeKalb schools replace 30 stolen AC units
By Megan Matteucci
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1:26 p.m. Monday, August 9, 2010
All DeKalb County students were greeted with cool classrooms Monday, despite thieves stealing 30 air conditioning units.
School officials had to replace 30 air conditioning units last week after vandals stole some and ransacked others for copper, chief of staff Alice Thompson said.
The school board is scheduled to approve $129,000 in emergency funding Monday night to cover the replacements. The bill includes $64,500 for materials and $64,500 for labor. School officials said they contracted workers because the district did not have enough staff to make the repairs by the start of school.
Thieves took 16 units from Southwest DeKalb High, six from the DeKalb Elementary School for the Arts and eight from Woodridge Elementary, school officials said.
"The AJC reports that DCSS will replace 30 air conditioning units which were stolen from a couple of schools."
I seem to recall about a year or so ago that there were several after hour thefts at some of the schools. These were buried and I presume that were never solved.
Maybe it is an OJT project for replacements for Pat and CLew.
Interesting.
I would not be shocked if Womack did not turn the school system into SACS to investigate Dr. Walker, Ms. Woods, and Ms. Roberts. He may have done it in an undercover government investigation according to the connections he says he has.
We have a 200 person school police department with two chiefs. What do they do in the summer? How do you allow 30 very expensive AC units to be stolen? Did Sam Moss staff allow the contractor to leave them unsecured? Why did Steve Donahue, the former principal now in charge of Sam Moss even though he has no facilities management experience, wait until August to have 30 AC units installed. How was this not completed in June or July?
This is the type of mismanagment that drives me nuts.
There are nine, yes nine, DCSS school detectives. They need to earn their salaries with this one. No one steals 30 ac units from three different locations randomly. This was an inside job, most likely related to one of the contractors employees, or to someone with DCSS.
The DCSS school police department needs to show their worth and solve this one quickly. As someone posted earlier, there are a lot of large scale thefts and other crimes at DCSS facilities that we never ever hear about. Colleges are required to post all campus crime info. online. The same needs to happen with school systems.
Here's the link to the AJC story:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-schools-replace-30-588204.html
If the thieves are caught, they should let Zepora slug 'em!!
Sent daughter off to a very full elementary school. 28 kids in her second grade class on the first day. You could not pay me enough money to spend a day in a room with 28 seven year olds.
Dekalb school police are a bunch of sorrow clowns. A/C units have been stolen at some of the same schools over and over again. This did not start yesterday it has been going own for some time. While they are siting on there large buts drinking coffee they need to be out there watching those schools. I see them all the time rideing around in cars with the tinted windows. There is waste in that dept also.
Tomorrow morning you will see them every way at the school where the principal was hurt. This is too make them look good. PLEASE They should have been out this morning at schools where we have ladies that have to go in early. Some of the schools lights are out and it is very dark for them.
Wonder what our insurance premiums look like for replacing so many AC units?
Am tired of the waste in DCSS. We have a very large police force and cannot believe that this was not seen by someone. AC units this large don't just disappear. These suckers are huge and heavy.
Why does Zepora Roberts get so nervous about revising policies? Does she have something to hide?
;:
I'm not sure what the DCSS police do. Our school was broken into on a regular basis last fall and we lost lots of electronics. They came out and hung around for a while. I think criminal know DCSS buildings are sitting ducks.
Chamblee has been recognized as a great school and one of only FIVE high schools that "made AYP". Because it's considered to be a great school, students are scrambling to get in. Now, a dilapidated school built for 900 people will have 1700 and no one is even blinking. Each classroom has 45 students and the county claims that they don't have enough chairs to send, so students are sitting on the floor. Is the purpose of NCLB to drain the bad schools and turn good schools into bad schools?
SACs is watching. I don't think they can question the appt. I also that she has a very good reputation.
The bigger question is DeKalb capable of recruiting quality applicants from outside the system. I bet a veteran teacher who just moved to ATL and turned down a DCSS job this week.
@ Anonymous 6:34
DCSS knows that principals in a deserted or nearly empty building are at risk.
DCSS has 218 Security employees at a cost of $12,500,000 in salary and benefits to serve 40+ schools (middle and high). Many of the elementary schools lock themselves in and you buzz a buzzer and then an office staff person will come out to peer through the window at you and let you in. That's their security for $12,000,00.
As a comparison, Gwinnett County Schools with 150,000 students to our 100,000 has 49 Security personnel for a cost of $2,500,000 in salary and benefits.
I just watched the BOE meeting and everything is hunky dory! No one discussed the hiring of another family member, they just voted to promote her. If she is wonderful great! However, in this environment we need discussion!
I turned the meeting on at 6:30 so I was wondering if anyone addressed Zepora's outburst and threat of assault on a journalist?
They sit in their $2000 chairs and say how wonderful everything is. We need discussion! Does anyone on the BOE have a spine? Come on parents want to know why a another family member is being promoted. Just think if they talked about her achievements I would listen and say great! However, they just vote, no discussion like they are trying to hide something.
Does anyone else feel this way? The presentation for the policy review was short and welcome, but don't we need some discussion? Good Grief.
Tonight's meeting does not give me much confidence. Unless I missed something during the first 30 minutes. can someone fill me in?
@ the mommy 7:00pm
"The bigger question is DeKalb capable of recruiting quality applicants from outside the system. I bet a veteran teacher who just moved to ATL and turned down a DCSS job this week."
Can you blame them? DCSS administration can't say they didn't know this would happen. They have all the numbers. They're kind of like DCSS's MIS department - put it out there and then wait until someone complains before you straighten it out. Sometimes it gets fixed. Sometimes it doesn't.
The situation at Chamblee angers me, please tell me kids were not sitting on the floors! If they were then the first day was NOT a success. Hey Redovian, did you visit the two High Schools you represent? How many schools did you visit?
Dunwoody is clearly not ready for occupancy and Chamblee High is a mess, according to the previous poster.
How can everyone say great job when we had a robbery at a school of a principal and 30 AC units were ripped off? How is this good?
Were their parent comments before their meeting tonight? Geez, you'd think if they turn on their $35k light system the least they could do is some discussion. No transparency means no trust! DCSS is a joke, I wish I had another choice.
I was disappointed that teachers, parents, business leaders, and students looking at the policies also. If you are going to do this and you want buy-in from the community this is how you handle it.
I got the impression that Ms. Roberts fells like Womack is pulling a great deal of weight with Romona Tyson in her decisions and when the budget committee was brought up she did not like this. I also notice that Womack appears very good friends with the same channel that Roberts is having her problems.
Mr. Womack and Ms. Roberts appear not to be good friends currently.
Ms. Jones may very well be qualified for the job at Clarkston, but with the issue of nepotism front and center with DCSS, this appt. should have received discussion and explanation.
Regards, good luck to Ms. Jones as she has quite a challenge in front of her.
By the way, I loved the way SCW asked about the Leadership Academy and where it was. Of course the staffer did not say, New Birth Church, she said Lithonia and then spouted the address. WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE!
This is NOT the transparency we expected and DEMAND!
A former region superintendent, no longer with the school system, would send out an e-mail and tell her principals to go to their schools and check their buildings. This would be on the week ends, usually after a storm or during vacation times. Our principal is a lady. She is very visible and active during the day and stays late many times to do work and return calls.
I am very sorry about the principal that was injured today. If we demand certain things out of our principals, we should provide them with better protection.
Answering the question leading this post: Dunwoody High School is SUFFERING the pangs of poor traffic management, mangled schedules (what the heck is Ancient Chinese?), sack lunches (they ran out before my kid got one - and we didn't know there wouldn't be a hot lunch), no computer access for teachers, a class missing a teacher (engineering? my kid didn't even sign up for engineering) ... why did this school open? It was a total waste of time. Oh, yeah. We're supposed to "buck up" and accept that things will be rough for a while, then they'll be all better. Meanwhile, my kid doesn't have a workable schedule ...
Anonymous 0738, take a deep breath and relax. School was fine at Dunwoody today. Kudos to the administration, teachers and students who dealt well with a school still under construction. There are always hiccups the first few days of schools. Schedule modification and balancing will occur as it has every other year. My child was also assigned engineering because she had signed up for Spanish VI, which was tabled, so they had to scramble and assign electives to these students. There also 40 students in her Gifted Literature class, that will be taken care of...Don't sweat it, it's a long school year. We'll all make it ok.
The air conditioners were stolen during the admin furlough week (week of July 4).... administrators and public safety were all at home..... so that's how no one noticed the theft.
Anon @ 7:46pm:
Really? My DHS student didn't say anything about any issue like that. Her schedule was right, and she said they switched classes today (unlike in previous years where they had to sit in the cafeteria all day for the first week or so). I was actually really impressed they pulled it off given the construction, etc
Chamblee High has 47 students in one of the math classes. The others are overcrowded also and they ran out of textbooks. And we get 198 more students in three weeks who have been on the block schedule and will move to a 7 period schedule.
Great planning folks.
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM PLANNING TO PUT 198 STUDENTS IN A SCHOOL THAT IS ALREADY 200 STUDENTS OVER CAPACITY?
Anonymous 7:51
"The air conditioners were stolen during the admin furlough week (week of July 4).... administrators and public safety were all at home..... so that's how no one noticed the theft. "
I guess I'm really dumb, but why didn't they stagger the furlough days? Why would you pull every security person off? Why wouldn't some be off now and some be off later? Just a thought.
"Chamblee High has 47 students in one of the math classes. The others are overcrowded also and they ran out of textbooks. "
I'm sure that will make that math teacher will want to stay in DeKalb. What incredible stress! With 1 Central Office person for every 5 teachers, it seems they could get it together for opening day of school. They have had all summer. Very sad for students.
I am anon 4:22. Wow, I wrote something so positive about the first day of school. I was really hoping I would see more positive comments but it saddens me I did not. Sometimes I wonder if some you on here only see the not so good. I know you may have to look deep, but there are many people trying hard to do "business as usual" because we know ...no matter what is going on, it is ALL about the kids. Surely something good happened at your school today....tell us that too!
Anon @ 8:13:
You are exactly correct. Many (most?) of the posters here could find the negative in anything and nothing is every good enough.
Anon @ 7:56:
How will they accommodate more kids at Chamblee HS? They will bring in trailers of course. Just like there are trailers at lots and lots of other schools including the ones that both my kids go to. Don't like it? Contact your congressperson and ask them to repeal No Child Left Behind. That is a federal law that mandates that schools permit kids at failing schools to transfer to those that aren't failing. You have George W Bush to thank for this one, not DCSS.
Anon 7:56 "WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM PLANNING TO PUT 198 STUDENTS IN A SCHOOL THAT IS ALREADY 200 STUDENTS OVER CAPACITY?"
The rumor I heard was the first thought was the baseball field in trailers ... that is the everything field at CHHS so that is a really bad idea.
As far as the BOE and the "non-eventfulness" of the meetings ... I think this group is figuring out that they have to show a relatively unified front in public. If they have all their fights in public, it undermines all of them and perhaps they've figured this out ... finally.
You are correct about the NCLB law being responsible for the crowding at many "passing" schools. DeKalb is unique in that we have so many more "failing" schools than schools that can receive transfers. It's an enormous strain on the receiving school and creates terrible crowding for the first few weeks. Then, the principal scrambles to hire the teachers needed to teach the overflow, the classes are rebalanced (a scheduling nightmare) and things shake out sort of via osmosis.
Right Kim - additionally, the meeting is never the first time they have seen this material. They have notebooks full of info that they read and discuss before these meetings ever occur.
The only available space for additional trailers at CHS is the parking lot where the current 5 trailers reside, or as Kim indicated, the only field that CHS has for football/baseball/soccer/band practice....
Furloughs? Whenever a city or county furloughs employees, public safety schedules are staggered, or even exempted.
I guarantee all the thefts did not take place over the week of July 4th. I know from Sam Moss staff that large pieces of equipment and expensive tools are stolen all the time.
There is a disconnect with Sam Moss and the super large school police department. Sam Moss doesn't even have an up to date electronic inventory of all of its equipment. We taxpayers lose more and more of our tax money from theft and malfeasance, and our freaking BOE and Central Office doesn't care, even if we have a 200 person do nothing police force.
Dunwoody Mom @ 8:43:
Then they will have to use the field and/or the parking lot. There are certainly plenty of trailers in other schools' parking lots and fields. WHy should Chamblee be treated differently? Again, those that don't like this should contact their representatives in Congress. Not sure DCSS gets the blame for this one.
Name me another high school in DCSS that has ONE field, a small one at that, for all its extracurricular activities. So, you would advocate taking away Chamblee's ability to have a football team, a soccer team, a band, and on and on.
If any receiving school had a reason to have an "annex" it was Chamblee.
Or DCSS opens up North DeKalb Stadium for Chamblee's use...
The admin were off ok, but a/c units have been stolen while school was in i know this to be true. When they got them at Mcnair they had it on camera and no one tried to so anything about it. As soon as they were replace it happen agin. This happen in 2009I still say they are sorrow and they are not doing there jobs. BOTTOM LINE
I strongly believe that DCSS could appeal to the US DOE for relieve from some of the more draconian requirements of NCLB/ESEA. A few years ago, they got a one year waiver that allowed the system to delay the choice option and offer additional tutoring services.
The problem is that the parents of DeKalb won't tolerate this. THEY WANT CHOICE. Nearly two percent of DCSS students asked for transfers and because it is mostly middle and high school students that are eligible, the percentage is actually probably much higher.
I ask again, how is Zepora Roberts viewed in her district. I have asked this before and never gotten a response, which leads me to believe that there aren't many District 7 voters posting here.
Anon: Chamblee already has trailers on the parking lots. This is an urban land-locked school on a very small patch of land. There is a little grassy area around the school but it is sloped. Maybe they can put them on Peachtree Industrial Blvd or in the N. DeKalb stadium.
Southern end of DeKalb was fairly smooth at my school.
No over crowded classes. In fact I had actually requested too many desks. Busses were on time delivering and picking up and
eSis was working fine.
Great first day back. Kids were polite and followed the dress code. Only had to call down a couple on shirts and skinny jeans.
Kids were polite courteous and friendly.
@ Anonymous 8:13 and 8:31
I'm retired now, but let me tell you a true story.
My 10th year of teaching 4th grade, I was given 38 students for 6 weeks as "everything was shaking out" (not an unusual occurrence, but the worst one I had ever encountered). I couldn't even move from one side of the classroom to the other (and these were small 9 year olds). I felt so sorry for my kids. They were real troopers, but it was impossible to do much more than crowd control with 38 4th graders for six weeks.
In October, I was given a self-contained "combination class" of 29 kids (Ten 5th graders and nineteen 4th graders) as the "best solution". I had 8 preps a day (social studies, reading, science, and math for 4th and then also for 5th.). This was exchanging one bad situation for another.
How shortchanged do you think my students were? It was my job so it didn't affect me as much, but it was terrible for my kids. Think about the 6 weeks they went through with 37 other students in the classroom and then being moved into different classrooms as the classes were completely rearranged (many kids cried as they left my room).
You think they are just numbers to be moved around like chess pieces, but these are real kids and weeks mean a lot in a student's year. Do you really value students' time so little?
The next year I left regular ed and taught elementary Gifted for 11 years. Due to state laws for Gifted, I never had over 17 students, I got to spend almost all my time on instruction, and I never had my students' instructional time wasted again. And we wonder why teachers leave regular ed?
Teachers get upset when kids are not treated like numbers. They are under our charge, and we are totally responsible for their education while they are in our classrooms. The least the administration could do is make sure roadblocks are not thrown up.
RE: Chamblee Charter High School Overcrowding
Why not make arrangements with Chamblee Plaza -- full of empty space -- to either park trailers in the mostly empty parking lot or create classrooms in some of the empty space? Perhaps that could become the Chamblee "Annex"?
@ Anonymous 9:37
And where would you suggest students go to the bathroom? Details, details.
@ Anonymous 9:40 PM
How about Port-a-Potties?
Do you have any better ideas?
A little pre-planning and "thinking outside of the box" - they could have moved Kittredge into the Chamblee Middle School facility and opened up Nancy Creek/Kittredge as the annex for the high school?
Regarding thefts, word is that many, many schools were hit for computers and electronics during furlough days, too. The real kicker is that insurance deductible is apparently so high the thefts may or may not be covered ... there's a hole in the bucket, dear Liza ...
Even after construction of new building, Druid Hills HS has a parking lot filled with trailers. There are only 10 student parking spaces this year, with no plans for additional in the future. There are no visitor spots for parents when they need to come to the school during the day. How is this ok?? Why is the school still accepting NCLB transfers???
@ Anonymous 9:49
"How about Port-a-Potties?
Do you have any better ideas?'
I know that's what all parents want - trailers and port-a-potties for their children. That will attract a lot of families to DeKalb.
@ Anonymous 9:58
"How is this ok?? Why is the school still accepting NCLB transfers???"
I honestly think no one at the Central Office has enough expertise or will take the time to appeal this to the NCLB group in Washington.
Shouldn't Dr. Berry in the Office of School Improvement be working on this? I believe all the federal funds and NCLB fall under her. What does this department do? We certainly haven't seen any improvement in our schools. In fact, here are the AYP numbers:
2003 - 2004 86%
2004 - 2005 77%
2005 - 2006 71%
2006 - 2007 79%
2008 – 2009 71%
2008 - 2009 78%
2009 - 2010 56%
Does this look like our schools are improving?
Wow, I said it earlier, small issues as school starts at my kids school. However, Chamblee High is a real issue and should be addressed. I guess that's why Redovian and Speaks remained quiet during tonight's meeting except for Jim's great memorial to the kid with MD.
I love the Chamblee Plaza idea, that is a huge property and within walking distance to the school. Like someone else said it's time to think out of the box. The old CMS, needs a lot renovation since it's been sitting idle for 5 years. It looks like a warehouse from the outside and the property is embarrassing to look at. It should be an option and could open by next year with fast action.
By the way, let's not blame Bush totally. NCLB was a bipartisan bill helped written by Kennedy and others. I do agree the Feds should stay out of educating our kids, leave it to the states. They can certainly help fund but the Feds have only hurt the process.
DCSS was designed many years ago with a philosophy of neighborhood schools. Now with the incredible growth, the system ignored DeKalb planning and were left behind. Now they are trying to catch up, but with the nepotism, cronyism and criminal activities taking place, getting change in DCSS is like turning an aircraft carrier around in the Panama Canal.
I know the BOE discuss things behind closed doors but it's time for the public to see some public discussion. It would be refreshing! Like in May, when Jay Cunningham insisted on keeping transportation in the new budget. It was fun listening to everyones opinion.
The folks at Clarkston High deserve to know who they are getting as principal, as well as the public. Just a vote with no discussion doesn't say much about the woman they have hired. The BOE should be endorsing her in public but tonight we heard nothing and it just creates more questions.
Anon 10:09
Your facts are correct, the percentage is dropping. Your grasp of NCLB is mmissing a few key components:
1) The standards get tougher every year. Eventually every school will fail. NCLB was designed that way. Why? Flawed design, they thought everyone would just raise the bar and the kids would jump higher. It works up to a point, but there's only so high that some kids are willing/able to jump.
2) The tests these numbers are based on - CRCT, GHSGT - these are state run tests and I noticed when I was teaching that there was a lot of variability in pass rates from year to year.
3) The GPS standards switchover caused some fits and starts when transitioning from the old QCCs. Admittedly, I don't know where we all are in that process, if that caused any impact this year, but it certainly affected scores in year's past.
And on a lighter note - my child says his first day (Kindergarten) was awesome. Excellent!
However, we as parents sat through a breakfast/meeting that was barely breakfast (one donut?) and more about more rules and procedures than anything else. One person out of six or seven that spoke mentioned academics. Seriously! It seems like the mission of school is to impose rules and regulations and conformity - if your child learns something then that was a side effect.
OK, back to the good. As a former teacher, I know that there are a lot of silly rules and things that don't make sense and layers of bureaucracy and administration - none of that has anything to do with education. It is the triad between teacher, student, and content that will determine academic success in the classroom (and we as parents will do our best to help).
DunwoodyMom ... I'm as relaxed as a parent of a senior in DCSS can be. The missing classes in my senior's schedule are REQUIRED for graduation, so no, school at Dunwoody High was not the rosy picture you paint for my student. I realize the counselors are struggling to fix things. I blame most of this on eSis and the block schedule - the two don't get along with each other.
Isn't Tony Hunter in charge of eSIS? If he can't fix the issues with Block scheduling, fire him! We'll find someone else to do the job. Our MIS department is a mess and can anyone answer who was in charge of MIS for many years? Our current "interim" Super, Ramona Tyson, that's who.
Why is Ms. Tyson avoiding the cameras? Why can't the taxpayers hear what she has to say about Wendy's report on nepotism. CLew said 5 years ago there was no nepotism at DCSS. I'm still laughing at that one. Hey WSB, why not bring that video out for the taxpayers to see, again?
Out of the box... Sell the old CMS to a high-end residential developer and use the proceeds to purchase Chamblee Plaza. Then use the acerage at the plaza for the needed fields for CCHS, CMS, and overflow fields for CKHS, SMS, DHS and the public. Outbuildings where appropriate. City of Chamblee may be willing to do a partnership also as evidenced by their Green efforts and financial support of parks like Keswick.
Dunwoody Mom @8:54:
No, I would not advocate that nor did i advocate it in my earlier comment. I would advocate for repealing NCLB and putting the resources we currently use up on moving kids all over the county toward fixing the schools. I just don't think DCSS is to blame for this failed federal law.
I blame DCSS for their mismanagement of funds, their friends and family hiring schemes and to allow CLew and Pope to continue on in thier positions after finding out they abused their power.
I don't balme them for trying to follow stupid Federal laws, personally the Feds should have nothing to do in educating our kids. Obama is thinking about a National Curriculum and America's Choice is one of three possibilities. Would love to hear what others are thinking about that?
Dun Mom -
Druid Hills has one field for all uses. Always has. Always will.
Teacher parking was destroyed for the addition, permanently, so the only parking lot is now faculty parking. There is no parking for students on work/study or dual enrollment, and in all of the surrounding neighborhoods there is no on-street parking. This,too, will not change.
I am baffled as to how the situation at Druid Hills HS is acceptable. The entire parking lot is filled with trailers to accommodate transfers (even though the school did NOT make AYP this year) and there are zero parking spots for students or parents. Should capacity assessments, in determining NCLB tranfer numbers, take into consideration preserving at least a minimum number of parking spaces for parents and students who absolutely need parking spaces (due to work study or joint enrollment). As a parent, I dread going to the school during the day as there is simply nowhere to park. What can be done? Does this require appeal at the county, state, or federal level?
Here's the factoid for the day. "Although homeless students are under reported because of the stigma attached to being homeless, there are more than 3000 homeless students enrolled in DCSS."
How does that relate to our frequent complaints about almost evreything?
Womack supported Lewis and now supports Tyson (who remember was recommended by Lewis to step in) because he want to pull the strings behind the scene. He has a self serving motive. If you take a close look at Ms. Tyson, she has a history of hiring neighbors, church friends sorority sisters and friends. She also has a history of hysterical outburst and back stabbing. She is the female version of the good old boys club. Womack is very happy with her in office! He has not lost his mind he is simply a danger to DCSS. Watch out many more bad times to come.
If Womack wants to get something out of Tyson he's sure not being successful at it. Lakeside is still a dump, the construction is still delayed and they are still inundated with out of district students for one reason or another (AYP, Administrative Transfers and now, McKinney Vento transfers).
Which addresses the comment about the homeless. The McKinney Vento law allows homeless students to apply and attend whatever school they choose. They do not have to live in the district, and do not have to stay in one place. If they move, they can stay at the school of choice. Suddenly, we have quite a few homeless students enrolled at Lakeside I'm told. Most likely, Druid Hills and Dunwoody have them too.
These schools are not very helpful to homeless students though, as they don't have social support networks like Title 1 schools.
@ Anonymous 6:36
Womack voted for Tyson because Lewis recommended her although he really wanted Lewis to stay:
From the AJC:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/board-lewis-leave-helps-337323.html
"Lewis recommended Tyson take over, Womack told the AJC.
And while two board members did not support Lewis' choice to take leave, the board voted unanimously to appoint Tyson."
This is a very scary thread. Particularly for a S. Dekalb County parent, who's zoned High School has School Choice, and I've opted to make a choice. I used to believe that my children could get a good education in our zoned school, since they have involved parents. I no longer believe this. The environment scares me. (And why are pregnant teenagers allowed to waddle around school?) What are WE supposed to do? We live in a nice neighborhood, but things deteriorate 2 miles in any direction. The real estate market has gutted our values and there is no way we can move. Speaking for myself, I HATE that our kids are causing overcrowding at the schools that are passing. But really. What can we do? As parents with a lot of bad options, how can we add value to the process? I know that I refuse to watch my children's education suffer if I can access something better. Their first week in the new school has been fabulous (to me. they are still wary). On the ride home, we talk about their stimulating classes. Previously, we talked about the latest drama, (with the students AND the teachers). We considered faking an address, but I couldn't imagine the ulcers that would give me. This is a great website. How can we do something good in our county for our kids?
I don't blame you as a parent, for requesting a transfer for your child. We do whatever we can for our own kids. But fixing what is wrong in area schools should be the priority of the school board - not just putting out fires by giving transfers to the lucky few who have the wherewithal to figure out how to make that work.
Discipline needs to return to the schoolhouse, but I think intense education in the early grades is key. Bad behavior among teenagers is simply a defense mechanism due to their insecurity about doing high school work. These kids KNOW they don't know what they need to know. Acting out is a cover up.
(BTW, at last count we had over a dozen pregnant girls at Lakeside.)
As an actually STUDENT at CCHS i can take up for my school. In case you didnt know the Chamblee Annex has been made, and established at another school for those of u who don't know. I am a little late on this post so sorry. No kids complained as far as i know.
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